Sports Sunday with Kline and Stamos

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Just a few days ago, Chargers Offensive Coordinator, Ken
Whisenhunt was named as the 17th Head Coach of the Tennessee
Titans.Whisenhunt comes in to Nashville
after previous coach; Mike Munchak was shown the door on a 22-26 combined
record in 3 seasons for the Titans.Ever
since Jeff Fisher was fired as HC in 2010, the Titans have struggled to find
consistency in the team play and the coaching department, and Titans fans
should feel confident in Whisenhunt’s coaching abilities as he comes over from
San Diego.

Whisenhunt passed on the Lions job with a solidified
Quarterback in Matt Stafford, an elite wide receiver in Calvin Johnson, and a
pretty good defense and now comes to Tennessee with some issues he needs to
address pretty quickly.Whisenhunt went
45-51 in 6 seasons as the HC of the Arizona Cardinals leading them to a Super
Bowl Berth.

Of course you have to start with the Quarterback
situation.Jake Locker has had major
injury issues in his short NFL career, but has a ton of upside and potential in
his 6’3”, 230 lb. body.Locker is also a
cheap option, only being paid around $4 million this upcoming season, so
Whisenhunt would be wise to at least keep Locker on the roster next season, if
not give him one more chance to succeed in this league.Ryan Fitzpatrick is the back up who is being
paid around $4.3 million, and played a lot last season with Locker’s
injuries.The beard threw 13 touchdowns
to 10 interceptions, and played decently with this Titans offense even though
the team posted a 7-9 record in 2013.The last Quarterback on the roster is Tyler Wilson, who the Titans
signed off of the Raiders practice squad in December, who will be used as the 3rd
string/practice squad quarterback as previous 3rd string
quarterback, Rusty Smith will reach Free Agency this offseason.

Whisenhunt has had success with big-time quarterbacks in his
past.With Ben Roethlisberger in
Pittsburgh, Kurt Warner at the end of his career in Arizona, and just this past
season with Phillip Rivers in San Diego where he helped Rivers get back to the
Pro Bowl and lead the league in completion percentage.After Warner retired, Whisenhunt has trouble
with his quarterbacks in Arizona, with names like Derek Anderson, Max Hall,
John Skelton, Kevin Kolb, and Ryan Lindley led to his firing in Glendale.

Most new Head Coaches like to draft their own quarterback
and start their own regime.The Titans
currently hold the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft, and are also
without a 3rd round pick because of the draft-day trade that allowed
the Titans to draft Justin Hunter.I
don’t think it would be wise to draft a QB with the 11th pick,
because I think all of the primary QB’s will be taken in the top 10.(Manziel, Bridgewater, Bortles).There are more needs for the Titans at 11
than another QB on the roster.If
Whisenhunt wants to draft a QB later in the draft, somewhere around the 3rd-4th
round range, then Ryan Fitzpatrick would likely be the odd man out in Tennessee.The bottom line is that Jake Locker should be
allowed one last chance in Tennessee with Ken.

Chris Johnson is another big question mark for this team
going forward that Whisenhunt needs to address soon.CJ is due $10 million this upcoming season
and its safe to say that the former 2000-yard rusher isn’t worth that money
anymore.He has lost his explosive
play-making ability that gave him the nickname “CJ2K”.The Titans should cut Johnson and look to
draft a RB later in the draft especially knowing solid young running backs in
the NFL that have been snatched up in the later rounds of the draft.(Alfred Morris- 6th Round, Zac
Stacy-5th Round).With Shonn
Greene due $3.23 million, you can assume that the former Jet is safe to make
the roster, and have a decent chance to be the starting RB week 1.

Defensively, Whisenhunt has said he plans on running a
hybrid 4-3, 3-4 defense with the Titans.I like the move… It adds variety and confuses offenses playing against
them.With the young core of Jurrell
Casey, Derrick Morgan, Zach Brown, and if they can keep him, Alterraun Verner,
this defense can only get better.Verner
though, is a big question mark.The
Pro-Bowl Corner is an unrestricted Free Agent and being a pro-bowler, he
expects to be paid like one.There is
always the franchise tag for the Titans, but I don’t see them going this route
for Verner.They either sign him to a
big contract or he walks in FA and signs with another team.I think its absolutely key that the Titans
HAVE TO RESIGN BERNARD POLLARD!!!This
is a must.Pollard brought great
defensive play to the Titans this season, but also great leadership in the
locker room, which the team lacked in previous years.With a new coach like Whisenhunt, Pollard is
the perfect guy to be the leader in the locker room, and that’s what Whisenhunt
needs.Pollard was brought in after
winning a super bowl with the Baltimore Ravens and came to Tennessee on a
one-year deal.He likes being in
Tennessee, and therefore I think the Titans will be able to retain Pollard
especially if he meets with Whisenhunt before Free Agency begins.

Titan fans should be very happy with Whisenhunt especially
since people expected him to go to Detroit and not Tennessee.It helps that he has a track record with
great quarterbacks and Jake Locker needs to take advantage of this opportunity
to learn from a guy like Whisenhunt and help him maximize his potential because
this could very well be his last chance to be the starting QB in
Nashville.Is this team a playoff team
with Whis?It’s too early to tell right
now.Ask me again during training camp,
after the draft, after free agency, after Ken hires and Offensive and Defensive
Coordinator to really make a solid decision about this team.But the future looks bright for Tennessee
with Ken Whisenhunt at the helm.

Be sure to tune into Sports Sunday this Sunday (1/19) as we
go over our predictions for the AFC & NFC Championship games!!!!

Friday, January 3, 2014

As I have said on Sports Sunday numerous times, I believe
that the NBA is still under the reign of the King, yet this NBA season has
brought new challengers. The past three Miami Heat teams have never dominated
entire seasons—there has always been bumps and bridges across the way. Last
year we saw the emergence of a conference foe that could rival the Heat: the
Pacers.

The Pacers
are the top team in the Eastern Conference as the Heat tread water until
playoff time.Fast-forwarding time will
surely include a Pacers vs. Heat square-off somewhere in the playoffs. A new
generation of superstars has shown it’s potential through the first thirty-some
odd games this season.

Michael Carter-Williams,
PG: I start with the only rookie on this list because he does play for one
of the worst teams in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers (11-21). However, this
Syracuse product’s play cannot be ignored. As a long 22-year-old point-guard,
Carter-Williams brings hope to a franchise that planned on tanking this season.
Carter-Williams, and possibly Evan Turner (if the 76ers can retain his this
offseason) represent leadership of the future team. MCW is averaging over 17ppg
and was surely the most exciting rookie to watch at the end of 2013.

Isaiah Thomas, PG:
When the Sacramento Kings sent Grevis Vasquez in a deal to acquire Rudy Gay
from the Toronto Raptors, more pressure was put onto Isaiah Thomas’s shoulders.
No, not the hall of fame Pistons point, and former Knicks coach, the 24-year-old
Sacramento Kings point guard. The former Washington Huskies standout has come
onto the scene this season as the leader of the Kings. Standing at only 5 ft.
9in. Thomas is developing into the NBA’S next-great small point-guard. Coach
Mike Malone recently stated that Thomas is the future at point-guard and is the
definite starter moving forward.

Jeff Teague, PG:
Teague has long been touted as top point-guard by the Atlanta Hawks front
office—this season he has been proving that. During his first four years,
Teague played a smaller role behind, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson. Many,
including myself, felt like the Hawks would struggle without Smith this season.
Paul Millsap’s coming to Atlanta has made the loss of Smith unnoticed, and it
has allowed Teague to create more plays for himself. Teague is averaged career
highs in points-per-game (17) and assists-per-game (8.2). Atlanta hold the
number, 3 seating in the Eastern Conference and Teague could look to expose the
usually solid defense of George Hill, and Mario Chalmers come playoff time.

Eric Bledsoe, PG: One
of the biggest surprises this season has been the Phoenix Suns. Expected to be
at the top of the draft-lottery board, fans of the had little to no reason to
believe in the Suns pre-season. But the genius behind uniting the
Morris-brothers in Phoenix has given the Suns an aggressive-defensive
personality to rely upon. The undisputed puppet-master, of the team on the
court, is Eric Bledsoe. For years the Clippers coveted Bledsoe in trade
negotiations, now he is doing exactly what the Clippers feared he would be
doing: lighting it up. Bledsoe’s athleticism has helped lead the Suns into
playoff contention, and above several teams that were expected to compete for
the playoffs pre-season (Lakers, Nuggets, Grizzlies).

Damon Lillard, PG:
As awesome as those other point-guards have been to be watch, let’s be honest
here. One point-guard has risen quicker than the rest of this field and is
proving to be the best at the position, across the entire NBA. With Rondo and
Derrick Rose out, it’s hard to say who is the best in the league. Standard
rationalization would say, easy: CP3. I would argue that this season, Lillard
has been more dominating. Lillard is younger and more physical. Also the last
year’s NBA Rookie of the Year is more consistent from behind the 3-point line,
Lillard leads the NBA in most 3-points made (108). Lillard has guided the
Trailblazers to the NBA’s tope record, so far, and is no doubt an MVP
candidate.

Paul George, SF:
The only non-point guard on the list, George, is the most immediate threat to
dethrone King James because of the strength of the team around him. George
plays with arguably the best big-man in the game, Hibbert, and one of the
deepest benches behind a solid starting unit. The former Fresno State bulldog
has proved that he can almost as explosive as LeBron James. George plays the
same position and if he can slow down the king during the playoffs, it should
be a legendary matchup to watch. Enough can’t be said about what George brings
to the Pacers, his emergence levels the advantage of the Heat and puts the
Eastern Conference title up for grabs.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Houston Texans:
Gary Kubiak was let go during the season after Super Bowl aspirations turned
into a nightmare season in Houston. Wade Phillips filled into a familiar role
for him, interim head coach. Yet, Phillips did little to secure the position
long term. The entire roster is suited to Kubiak’s zone-read scheme and
Phillip’s 3-4 defense, management faces a tough decision whether or not to go
in a new direction.

Dominant
pass-rushers don’t come along all that often in the NFL: Lawrence Taylor,
Julius Peppers, Mario Williams. This year we have one of those prospects:
Jadeveon Clowney. Houston should play to the strength of their best player (JJ
Watt) and team him up with a freakish athlete like Clowney. This would entail
switching to a 4-3 defense, something that the Lovie Smith ran for nine seasons
in Chicago. Smith has Texas roots being born in Gladewater, and could be the
coach to steer the Texans back into the right direction. NFL Success starts
with elite line-play and teaming up Watt and Clowney would certainly bring that
to Houston.

Cleveland Browns:
Rob Chudzinski was let go after one season, to the dismay of many of his
players. Rumors are swirling that General Manager Michael Lombardi will target,
New England Patriots offensive coordinator and former Denver Broncos Coach,
Josh McDaniels. However, both of their previous two-head coaches (Chudzinski
and Pat Shurmur) have come from the offensive coordinator ranks and those
experiments got the franchise nowhere.

I say move
in a new direction and play to this teams strengths—defense. Ray Horton was a
head-coaching candidate in several openings last offseason, but landed in
Cleveland as defensive coordinator. Promoting Horton to head coach would rally
players support and continue to grow some of the talent collected on the
Brown’s defense. Consistency is key in the NFL, and firing an entire coaching
staff after one season, completely disrupts any progression from happening.
Keeping offensive coordinator Norv Turner, in his current role, will help
mentor whomever is behind center. In the AFC North Defense is king, and getting
the Browns to a dominant defensive level is more important than hiring another
offensive guru.

Washington Redskins: After
a miraculous rookie campaign from RG3, expectations were threw the roof in Washington
this year. Shannahan and RG3 never seemed like a natural fit. Shannahan’s
stubborn offensive approach held back Griffin’s development, and combining that
with a terrible defense led to a disastrous season in D.C.

They need
at least two sets of fresh eyes to look at this roster. One, to reimagine the
offense and play more to Griffin’s strengths. And two, to take over the defense
and get the Redskins competitive again. I think offense is more important in
this circumstance. The Eagles and Cowboys are going to be able to put up points
next season, if Washington wants to compete they must be able to keep pace with
them. One coach who has helped developed Cam Newton’s game this season is Mike
Shula. Shula is the son of an NFL legend and has been a head coach before
(Alabama 2003-206). Bringing in a QB minded coach, with a modern, passing,
offense is the only hope that Daniel Snyder and the Redskins have, and Shula
could be that guy.

Minnesota Vikings: Leslie
Frazier enjoyed a moderate level of success in Minnesota, yet it seems that
Christian Ponder’s lack of development may have sunk this ship. Their defense
was supposedly strength, but regressed this season. With a new stadium on the
way, I think it is time for a complete overhaul in Minnesota. Frazier’s schemes
never really changed much from Brad Childress’s, and the Vikings approach
seemed un-dynamic and predictable.

Bringing in
a fresh coach, new to the NFL, could be a way for the Vikings to get back into
playoff contention. One such coach, with experience as an NFL assistant, is
James Franklin of Vanderbilt. Franklin has been able to turn around the
Commodores program, something that very few coaches have ever been able to do.
He also has connections to one QB already on the Viking’s, Josh Freeman whom he
coached at Kansas State. Franklin’s named has surface for many big name jobs
(USC, Texas) his name may never be hotter and should take the leap into the
NFL.

Detroit Lions: The
Lions choked away their best chance at an NFC North championship this season,
losing 6 of the last 7 games. Jim Shwartz’s defense proved to be one of the
weaknesses of this unit, which resulted in his dismissal.

Looking
forward, I believe that the Lions should play to their team’s biggest asset:
the passing game. Megatron is in his prime, and the window of his domination
could be quickly closing. Pettigrew, Fauria, and Durham emerged as huge targets
this season. Stafford needs an aggressive pass-first offense to out-throw
Cutler and Rodgers in the NFC North. One coach who could bring that to Detroit
is Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. Gase took over for Mike
McCoy, and in his first season calling plays led Peyton Manning to break the
single season record for yards and touchdowns. No situation is more ideal for
Gase’s approach than the Detroit Lions. If the Lions can take their passing
game from the explosive level, to the dominant level, the sky is the limit for
Mathew Stafford in the Motor-City.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Greg Schiano’s stint in Tampa was short-lived, however he was able to bring
a franchise-type QB into fold: Mike Glennon. Players did not react well to
Schiano’s dictatorial approach, but Glennon threw 19 tds opposed to only 9
interceptions and proved that he can perform under pressure, so the season was
not a total failure.

Schiano did
not work out, neither did Raheem Morris; fans in Tampa are dying for management
to bring back Jon Gruden. Gruden seems content with his position at ESPN, but
there is a candidate out there who bears a strong resemblance to Jon—his
brother Jay Gruden. Jay has done wonders in Andy Datlon’s progression in the
NFL, as well as has won six-championships in the Arena Football League. Jay
Gruden would give fans, and players alike the most confidence in the Buccaneers
moving forward. Teaming up Glennon with Gruden could be the best way to
progress the young QB into a winning leader.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

It was not all bad news in the Bronx this week. Following
the horrific train accident of this past weekend, an early Christmas Present
greeted New Yorkers on Tuesday. World Series Champion Jacoby Ellsbury agreed to
leave the Boston Red Sox and join the dark side.

In the past
decade, the Red Sox own three World Series Rings and the Yankees only one ring.
For anyone with the surname Steinbrenner this is not an acceptable outcome. For
the past few years General Manager Brian Cashman has sworn the Yankees goal was
to decrease payroll under $189-million—after the Red Sox won the World Series
this notion was punted into the Harlem River.

Its back to
inflated blockbuster contracts this winter for Cashman and crew. Since giving
Alex Rodriguez the largest contract in sports history in 2008, the Yankees financial
options have been crippled. Other injuries to expensive players have kept the
Yankees from winning a championship the last four years.

The Yankees
had no choice but to open up their pockets and load the wagon. Signing
seven-time All Star Brian McCann gives the Yankees a power-hitting catcher that
they haven’t had since the Jorge Posada days. McCann should also help keep the
pitching staff under control and give them more consistency than the unreliable
trio of Chris Stewart, Austin Romine and Francisco Cervelli.

Going to
back to the pitching staff, Girardi may be having headaches similar to Mike Scioscia
in Anaheim last season if Cashman continues to ignore the holes in the
rotation. Behind C.C. Sabathia and Ivan Nova, the Bronx Bombers are completely
defunct of prove pitchers. It is not out of the realm of possibility that a
prospect such as Michael Pineda, Adam Warren, or Vidal Nuno could develop into
contributors, but management should consider some veteran pitching insurance.

Returning
to the Ellsbury contract, it is interesting the figures 7-years 153-million
dollars for a 30-year-old centerfielder. By the final year of Ellsbury’s
contract he will be 37 and collecting an upwards of 20-million dollars per
year. Cashman continues to overpay for veterans. The McCann deal was warranted
because of the vacancy at the position, but the Yankees already had
outfielders. A-Rod, Jeter, and Teixeira’s injuries have clogged payroll,
Ellsbury and McCann have both had injuries in their careers and could fall into
the overpaid, damaged veterans category.

Johnny
Damon was the last Red Sox centerfielder to leave the Red Sox for the Yankees,
and it worked out fairly successfully for both parties. If Ellsbury stays
healthy, and gets on base he could be a game-changing spark for the Yankees.
Should the Yankees implode like last season, Cashman needs to held accountable
for passing out these monstrous contracts to old veterans. The only way to
justify signing McCann and Ellsbury is giving New York a 28th World
Series Championship.

Red Sox
General Manager Ben Cherington surely has a plan to defend his World Series
Title, as the Sox prepare to face Ellsbury and the Yankees. Red Sox have added wily
veteran A.J. Pierzynski to a low-risk high-reward contract, in a move, which
mirrors some of their transactions of last offseason. It is only December, yet
I can’t wait to see the clash of styles this year as the bottomless pocketed
Yankees attempt to run down the gritty bearded Red Sox.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Welcome everyone. This is the first blog I’ve ever done. I
decided to do this so I could react to some of the bigger news in sports more
timely than just discussing it during our weekly radio show. So lets go
down to business.

Earlier today, University of Southern
California Athletic Director, Pat Haden hired former Washington Huskies head
coach, Steve Sarkisian as their new head football coach. Prior to
Sarkisian being the head coach of the Trojans, he was previously with USC as a
quarterbacks coach from 2001-2003, then again from 2005-2006, and then as
Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks coach from 2007-2008 before accepting the
head coaching job from the University of Washington (34-29 overall record, 1-2 in bowl games). Sarkisian has worked
with quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, and most
recently at Washington, Keith Price. Sarkisian was with a list of head
coaching candidates for the head coaching job with the likes of Interim Head
Coach of the Trojans, Ed Orgeron, Boise State's Chris Petersen, Texas A&M's
Kevin Sumlin, and Vanderbilt's James Franklin.

Now what do I think of the hire?
This is USC's Athletic Director, Pat Haden's first head football coaching
hire in his tenure with the Trojans. He needed to make a splash with this
hire, not only for the players of the football team, but also for the fans.
He did NOT do this with Steve Sarkisian. And the only way Sarkisian
can prove himself worthy of the fans of the Trojans, is only if Sarkisian has
instant success in his first season. The fans wanted Coach O, and they
did not get him, so there are very high expectations for Sarkisian in his first
season next year. The fans will expect a National Championship in his first
year, which really isn’t fair, but that’s what happens when your named the Head
Coach of a College Football team with a very storied past.Overall, I don't like the hire; I think they
should have went with their former interim coach.

And speaking of Coach O, what is to happen
with Ed? Orgeron was outraged when he was not offered the head-coaching
job, and instead was offered a raise to be the assistant coach of the Trojans.
I honestly can't blame the guy. The Trojans went 6-2 under Orgeron,
with key wins upsetting at the time #5 Stanford 20-17. His 2 losses came
against Notre Dame and UCLA who were both ranked at the time. The fans
loved him, and more importantly the players. Which is going to be really
interesting to see how recruiting will work with Sarkisian being named the HC.
Orgeron deserves to be the Head Coach at a D1 program somewhere. I
mean Washington now doesn't have a head
coach. How ironic would that be if Orgeron was hired to be the Huskies HC?
That would one hell of a game next year when Washington and USC meet if
that were to happen.

I’m not sure how many times per week I’ll
post up a blog, but I’ll let you guys know on some of the various social media
networks.